For the second season in a row, Bayern Munich suffers defeat in away clash against Eintracht Frankfurt. First-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Amin Younes were enough for Frankfurt to clinch 2-1 win against defending champions. Robert Lewandowski did score in the second half, but Die Roten couldn’t mount a comeback.
Hansi Flick was forced to make three changes to the squad due to injuries and the return of important team players. Jerome Boateng replaced Lucas Hernandez in central defense with Niklas Sule moving in the right-back position. Joshua Kimmich and Marc Roca started in the midfield, replacing Bouna Sarr and Corentin Tolisso in the starting lineup that played against Arminia Bielefeld.
Meanwhile, the home side was without their top goalscorer. Andre Silva couldn’t recover in time to play against Bayern. January transfer signing Luka Jovic replaced Silva in the starting lineup. Almamy Toure started in place of Erik Durm, while Sebastian Rode for Djibril Sow was one of three changes Frankfurt made from the team that clinched victory against FC Koln last week.
Bayern started poorly in Frankfurt as the home team looked much more proactive with pressing across the pitch. They were forcing turnovers higher up the pitch whenever Die Roten was looking to play out from the back. The poor passing from visitors also helped Frankfurt’s cause.
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The home side was eventually rewarded for their perseverance in the 12th minute. After some nice play on the left flank, Filip Kostic found Kamada in the box. The Japanese forward emphatically finished the chance to help his team get the much-deserved lead. Sule and Leroy Sane failed to stop the cross from Kostic.
After getting the first goal, Eintracht Frankfurt continued to grow into the game. Younes almost scored an audacious goal from 50 yards when Manuel Neuer was off his line. Die Roten was finding it difficult to string passes in the final third to create chances.
Frankfurt made sure that this long spell of dominance paid off. After the half-hour mark, they got the two-goal cushion through a brilliant goal from Younes. The German forward drilled the ball past Neuer after getting past Sule. Neuer was helpless as the was out of his reach.
The hosts kept on creating chances, while Die Roten continued to look devoid of ideas in the final third. Neuer made sure that game doesn’t drift from Bayern making a sensational save in the 45th minute to deny Almamy Toure. Frankfurt completed a flawless half on a strong note.
After a possible rollicking from the manager, Bayern started the second half brilliantly. They almost scored from the first attack as Sane’s brilliant cross was headed wide by Kingsley Coman. The home side was completely on the backfoot as Rekordmeister was eager to get that first goal quickly.
Flick’s eventually succeeded in the 53rd minute as Lewandowski found the back of the net after some brilliant bit of play on the right flank by Sane to set up the Polish striker. The German winger looked much more dangerous in the second half after a timid display in the first half.
Until the final 15 minutes of normal play, the German Champions kept on piling pressure on the home side. However, they were not able to convert chances that were created after sustaining possession in Frankfurt’s box. In the final stage of the game, Frankfurt started managing the game better. They defended well in a deep block and looked threatening on the break.
In the dying minutes of the game, Bayern wasted two big chances to salvage a point from the game. The defeat against a very good Frankfurt side is a big wake-up call for the World Champions. Die Roten will likely have only two points cushion at the top of the Bundesliga after this game week. They will have to pick themselves up quickly as the Champions League returns next week with a tricky clash against Lazio.
"Eintracht Frankfurt (4-2-3-1)TrappTuta-Hinteregger-N’DickaToure-Rode-Hasebe-KosticKamada-Jovic-YounesSubstitutes: Hrustic, Chandler, Zuber (↓Kamada (90+3′)), Bordner, Barkok (↓Younes (74′)), Ilsanker (↓Rode (68′)), Schubert, Willems, Ache (↓Jovic (68′))Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1)NeuerSule-Boateng-Alaba-DaviesKimmich-RocaSane-Moting-ComanLewandowskiSubstitutes: Hoffmann, Martinez (↓Sane (90′)), Goretzka (↓Roca (46′)), Sarr, Hernandez (↓Coman (83′)), Dantas, Musiala (↓Moting (83′)), Sieb"